Graham, Polak and Rivas Net 1st-Team Honors Leading Seven Toros Named to All-CCAA Teams
CSUDH battles defending CCAA champion Sonoma State Friday at 1:30 pm in tourney semifinal
October 26, 2006

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Seven members of the CSUDH men's soccer team earned All-CCAA awards at the CCAA Championship Tournament Banquet, held on the campus of UC San Diego. Top Row (L-R): Alberto Garcia (3rd-team), LJ Reinhardt (2nd-team), Kyle Polak (1st-team), Jesse Graham (1st-team). Bottom Row (L-R): Shogo Okuma (2nd-team), Sammy Rivas (1st-team), Devin Toohey (3rd-team)

Carson, CA -- Seniors Jesse Graham (San Diego, CA/Pt. Loma HS) and Kyle Polak (Huntington Beach, CA/CS Fullerton), along with junior Sammy Rivas (Long Beach, CA/CS Fullerton), all were named to the 1st-Team All-CCAA squad, it was announced earlier by the CCAA office. Shogo Okuma (Okinawa, Japan/ELAC) and LJ Reinhardt (Palos Verdes Estates, CA/LMU) were selected to the 2nd-team, and Devin Toohey (Santa Paula, CA/Ventura College) and Alberto Garcia (Santa Barbara, CA/Santa Barbara HS) garnered 3rd-team selections.

Graham, now a three-time All-CCAA recipient, tied for 5th in the CCAA for goals, was 6th in points and tied for 6th in assists, and notched 3 game-winning goals, good for 5th in the conference. Having earned his first-career CCAA Player of the Week award for scoring three goals in two must win games to help CSUDH secure its eighth-consecutive CCAA Tournament berth, the San Diego native also moved into 4th on the CSUDH all-time assist list, 9th on the all-time points list, and 10th on the all-time goals list.

Currently ranked 15th in the NCAA in goals against average, Polak leads the CCAA in both goals against average and shutouts, having posted nine shutouts on the year, including 5 in the team’s first 6 games to kick off the season. A three-time All-CCAA honoree, the Huntington Beach native established himself as the best keeper in the history of the storied program with the most wins and shutouts in a career, and currently has the 2nd lowest all-time career goals against average by mere percentage points.

Additionally, Polak holds three of the top 10 marks for shutouts, wins and goals against average in a single season, having led the Toros to two CCAA South Division crowns and the 2005 NCAA Far West Region title under his keepership.

Rivas notched his first-career All-CCAA honor in his second year as a Toro, and is currently tied for 5th in the CCAA in goals and tied for 7th in points. The Long Beach native notched consecutive game-winning goals to start conference play, and has one multi-goal and one multi-assist game on the season. Rivas also is tied for the team lead in goals, and stands second in both assists and points.

Okuma received his first All-CCAA 2nd-team honor after consistently creating offensive opportunities and impeding attacking offenses, while first-year Toro Reinhardt proved a defensive force, helping anchor a back line that kept opponents scoreless in 10 games, and held them to a single goal in five others.

Sophomore Garcia garnered his first All-CCAA award after providing stellar defense to a revamped back line, while Toohey, a transfer from Ventura College, also earned his first CCAA accolade after proving a pivotal piece to the Toro midfield.

The Toros and Seawolves lock horns at 1:30 pm tomorrow in the second of two semifinals, with the winner set to face the Cal State L.A./Cal State Stanislaus victor on Sunday at 11:30 am with the CCAA title at stake. Earlier this season, the Toros took a convincing 5-0 decision over Sonoma State in their only meeting after the Seawolves pounded the Toros 6-0 in the 2005 regular season, and took a 1-0 double overtime win for the 2005 CCAA title a month later.